Improvement in dress-train supporters



M. ROSENSTOOK. Dress Train Supporter.

Patented Oct. 23, I877.

Wil'nasse s.

ILFETERS, PNOTO-UIHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIc MORITZROSENSTOGK, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY. 1

IMPROVEMENT IN-D RESS-TRAIN SUPPORTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No; 196,481, dated October 23, 1877; application filed I October 4, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MoRIrz RosENs'rooK, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson, New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dress-Train Supporters and Protectors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for preventing the trains of ladies dresses from trailing on the ground, and thus becoming soiled and worn; the object being to facilitate wearing trains on the street or promenade.

The present article is a very simple permanent attachment for the train, serving, when in use, to support the latter in the most elastic and graceful manner; the same being constructed in peculiar manner of a single piece of fabric, beside its water-proof binding and its spring or springs, as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing is a perspective view of the said dress-train supporter and protector curved as worn. Fig. 2 is a face view of a double piece of fabric cut and punctured for use in making the improved supporter. Fig. 3 is a face view of a partiallyfinished protector, illustrating an intermediate stage of the process of manufacture.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the several figures.

This improved dress-train supporter and protector, which will be known as Our Princess-Dress Fan, has the form represented in Fig. 1, when sewed or otherwise secured within the train of a ladys dress. Whennot attached, the supporter is straight or flat, its spring .or springs s tending to hold it in this shape. It consequently occupies very little space as boxed for sale. Beside the said spring or springs, which are straight and horizontal, and the general characteristic of the supporter as a stiff facing, the salient features of the finished supporter are a curved lower edge, provided with a water-proof binding, 1), and a series of compound box-plaits, p 1 19 increasing in length and fullness toward the middle of the supporter, and formin g together a central fan-like frill, upon which the edge of the train rests; .and, lastly, a curve, 0, stitched through the plaits, which defines the line where the edge of the train should be fixed, and more conspicuously serves, in connection with the stiffenin g-sprin g, to cause the said plates to be expanded or erected, as shown in Fig. 1, in the act of bending the supporter preliminary to securing it within the train. The binding, besides its primary protecting function, serves as an auxiliary tokeep the plaits in shape.

The materials which I have employed in the manufacture of the said supporter are wigan as the main fabric, athin oil-cloth as the binding, and fiat hoop-skirt wire for the springs. Jean, hair-cloth, and other stiif fabrics may also be employed, however, as substitutes for' wigan; any water-proof binding may be employed, and the springs may be of horn, hard rubber, or whale-bone. I have found asingle spring sufficient, but two or more may be employed, as above indicated. Only one is shown in the illustration.

In manufacturing the said supporter, I employ a halfrpattern of the shape represented in Fig. 2; and cut thereby astrip of wigan, for example, of the required form and size, the latter being what is shown in said figure. In doing-this a double piece of the fabric is employed, and the square end of the pattern is placed at the fold f, Fig. 2, which is consequently the middle of the strip. The strip is, say, two anda half yards long, ten inches wide at the fold, and seven and a half inches wide at the ends. This strip is at the same time punctured with sixty eight (more or less) small holes, h, Fig. 2, and is cut longitudinally, parallel to its straight upper edge and about five inches therefrom, from the fold to about ten inches from the ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the upper part is divided at the fold f. The binding 1) is now sewed 011 the lower edge of the strip. The plaits p p p are next folded and sewed, as indicated in Fig. 3, under the guidance of the punctures; the outer plaits 1) p at each end of the series, being each formed by eight folds, and the two central plaits, p each by twelve folds, with each inner fold of the width indicated by two successive punctures, and each plait of double this width. The flaps as 00 formed by dividing the upper part of the strip, are made to overlap the opposite ends on the respective sides, and are cut off at the extremities of the shortened strip, as also shown in Fig. 3. The

- and respective thus fo of the stitchec the edg portion more p through Fig. 1, if inserted incl sedin t doubl n i parts of the donblenpper portion, r-ined, a lower V11 f0 then folded back again, and one or rows of stitching are sewed' e'm the re then turneddown on the line edges of the flaps, and are onto the plaiits, the, parallel to rnied. Said parts of the upper to form the pocket or pockets, 3

1e entire upper portion afi 'ord add'fi r21 '1 for y game I ess, and obviates any new. it ps or braces. Transverse gore ed at the respective ends 01 the spring to the o urve c uppei hem ning i [11 iify stitched through the plaiits. 11!] henn gs, to hold the latter in place the shape of the supporter, and The d the ends are now elosei by ,and the article is finished.

A dressn supporter and protector, eon j stru ted a details as re e01 vent on, may be manufactured otherwise than as above speoifiemend this method of manufeature may itself be modified in une ding to the first part of this inse t ietl and the rds the number of ink oh the curve 0 is so ed simple.

for ex- Z porter, substantially as here] spring or springs s, which are s springs by means of the flaps th and p 0on1 compound box-plaits projecting rightengles to the upright port] scribed.

2. The method of making a'dress porter and protector from a sing] textile fabric, with Water-proof bi a spring or springs, consisting in s piece of fabric longitudinally, leaving whole, dividing the upper part, 'qnently doubling the entire uppe forming a pocket or pockets for lower portion being bound and p the wearing-surfaces of the 51in substentiellyes herein speeified.

rear

11 of hown rot pie

w and of e by Let- 111 sup and ector,

so of said is fo laite ish? )1 ion th sp the rm d to 1 er ends ubseand rig or the i orln tiole MORITZ R'G-SENSTOCK.

Witnesses JAs. EWIN, WM. A. MAIN, 

